Do biodegradable plastics increase public acceptance of littering?

Abstract This study offers much-needed evidence in the debate over whether introducing biodegradable plastics could lead to increased public acceptance of littering. We show that there is validity to the concerns being raised but also that this outcome is not inevitable. We investigated perspectives on leaving conventional plastics, biodegradable plastics and paper in the natural environment, as part of a large-scale survey undertaken across four countries (the Netherlands, Australia, India and the Philippines, with over 1,000 respondents per country). The results show that opinions vary markedly between countries. In the Netherlands, more than 80% of respondents do not think it is okay to leave a food wrapper in the natural environment, regardless of the material it is made from, and responses are not influenced by beliefs regarding the persistence of different materials in the environment. It appears that the use of biodegradable plastics is unlikely to increase acceptance of littering in such a culture. In contrast, responses in India, the Philippines and Australia differ based on the type of material and by how long a respondent believes the material will last in the environment. So, the introduction of biodegradable plastics could increase acceptance of littering unless a general societal message that ‘no packaging belongs in the environment’ is communicated clearly.